Princess Tsunade

Land of Fire

Hyuga Kei walked alone through the dense forest when Zetsu emerged.

"Tsunade is in the town up ahead. She should be at the casino there right now."

Zetsu spoke beside Hyuga Kei.

"Intelligence says she has hemophobia now. The moment she sees blood, she loses her ability to fight."

"That's troublesome."

Hyuga Kei naturally knew that Tsunade suffered from hemophobia. Otherwise, without using his Bloodline Eye Technique, he might not necessarily be able to defeat Princess Tsunade at her peak.

As a Taijutsu ninja, it would be difficult for him to capture Princess Tsunade, but he would still try to rely on threats and inducements first.

Dressed in a white robe, Hyuga Kei slowly entered the town. For now, the deeper Akatsuki remained hidden, the better.

After asking around for the casino's location, Hyuga Kei could hear shouting from inside before he even reached the entrance.

The moment he entered, Hyuga Kei spotted Tsunade shouting forcefully beside a gambling table. Her physical characteristics were simply too distinctive.

"Big! Big! Big! Big!"

When Tsunade saw the result, her face filled with frustration. "Shizune, give me another ten thousand ryo."

Shizune held a little pig in her arms. "But... Lord Tsunade, we still need that money to eat."

"I'll put up the stake." Hyuga Kei slapped a Kunai onto the table and pointed at the gamblers. "I bet the lives of everyone here. I bet that if you don't leave now, I'll kill every last one of you."

An almost tangible aura swept across the entire room. The thugs, the owner, and the others who had been about to step forward were all intimidated. They only dared watch from afar, praying that this demon would leave quickly.

Everyone except Tsunade and Shizune scattered like birds and beasts. The two women looked at Hyuga Kei at the same time.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Kei."

"Are you one of the Anbu the old man just recruited? Stop trying to find me. I'm not going back." Tsunade crossed her arms and pointed at the casino owner hiding in the corner. "You, go pay off all my gambling debts, then go back and get reimbursed by the old man."

"I was indeed once a Leaf Village Anbu, but not anymore. I came to gamble with you." Hyuga Kei took out a suitcase and opened it, revealing stacks upon stacks of banknotes.

Tsunade's eyes gleamed. By her conservative estimate, there were at least ten million ryo inside. "Tell me, how do we gamble? Though I don't have any money on me right now."

Her eyes shifted as she snatched the little pig from Shizune's arms. "But I can bet this fragrant little pig on it."

Shizune cried out, "Lord Tsunade!"

Hyuga Kei smiled. "I'm not interested in that cute little pig."

"I want you..."

Tsunade slammed her fist onto the table, instantly cracking it apart. "I told you, I'm not going back to Konoha."

"Don't rush. I'm not finished. I want your blood."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "Are you Danzo's man?"

Anyone seeking the blood of the Senju Clan was most likely one of Danzo's people.

"I'm not from Konoha, so don't worry." Hyuga Kei nudged the suitcase toward her. "How about it? This money is enough for you to live freely for a long time."

"Still no!" Tsunade forced out those words through the agony in her heart, then headed outside with Shizune.

At that moment, four puppets wrapped head to toe in white bandages appeared before Tsunade, blocking the entrance.

Tsunade immediately wanted to smash the puppets apart with a punch, but the puppets instantly took out bags of blood and crushed them.

Blood sprayed everywhere, splattering across the floor.

At the sight, Tsunade's body began to tremble uncontrollably and went weak. She collapsed at once.

Shizune supported Tsunade's body and charged at the puppets in front of her, intending to escape with Tsunade.

But the puppets quickly took Shizune down and "rescued" the collapsed Tsunade.

Hyuga Kei walked over to Tsunade, took out two blood storage bags, and began drawing her blood.

"Let go of Lord Tsunade!" Shizune shouted.

Tsunade gritted her teeth, but could not muster even a trace of strength. "You bastard!"

Hyuga Kei said, "Our deal still stands. All this money is yours."

Just as Hyuga Kei finished taking Tsunade's blood, someone finally arrived late.

"Let go of Tsunade!" The white-haired ninja swiftly defeated the puppets blocking his path and rescued Shizune and Tsunade at the same time.

Tsunade looked at the newcomer in delight. "Jiraiya!"

Hyuga Kei stored the two bags of blood in a Sealing Scroll, stood up, and looked at the newcomer. Sure enough, it was the ninja from his memories.

"Jiraiya, shouldn't you be commanding the war against Iwagakure? What are you doing here?"

Killing Intent appeared in Jiraiya's eyes. "Who are you?"

Hyuga Kei narrowed his eyes and sized up this hero from the original story.

"You're Hyuga Kei?"

"I'm honored that Jiraiya recognizes me, though we seem never to have met."

"I heard the old man mention you. You slaughtered the entire Hyuga Clan. Truly ruthless."

Hyuga Kei sneered. "You flatter me. I'm still a little inferior to your Konoha, but it truly is an honor to have been mentioned by the Third Hokage."

"If I had the chance, I'd really like to fight you. But... I don't have time to play with you."

Hyuga Kei leaped into the air and flung out a Sealing Scroll. It burst into a cloud of white smoke, and a puppet giant eagle carried Hyuga Kei into the sky.

"You're not getting away!" Jiraiya leaped up, rapidly forming a Rasengan in his hand.

But the puppet Flying Eagle was faster, shooting into the sky in the blink of an eye.

From afar, they heard his voice: "Jiraiya, Tsunade, we'll meet again if fate allows."

Watching Hyuga Kei's departing figure, the others frowned deeply.

"Tsunade, come back to Konoha with me. Even if you don't want to see the old man, what happened back then was actually Danzo's doing. You know how indecisive the old man is. Once you return, he'll give you an explanation."

Jiraiya earnestly tried to persuade his close friend. "Besides, it isn't safe for you to be out here alone, is it?"

"Now everyone knows about your hemophobia. Wouldn't that make you a lamb awaiting slaughter?"

Tsunade had only just recovered somewhat from her hemophobia when she heard this. She punched Jiraiya straight into the wall. "Who are you calling a lamb awaiting slaughter?"

Jiraiya pulled himself out of the wall. "Ow, ow, ow! Hiss... So are you going back to Konoha or not?"

"I'm going! I want to see what explanation the old man can give me... If Danzo really did it, I swear I'll beat him to death!"

"Shizune, go get my money!"

"Yes, Lord Tsunade."

Shizune stepped over the large pool of blood at the entrance and picked up the suitcase of banknotes from the gambling table.

"Where did you get so much money?" Jiraiya asked. He knew Tsunade's gambling skills all too well. She used to have to borrow money from him and Orochimaru.

"What's it to you? I won it." Tsunade waved her fist.

Shizune quietly revealed the truth behind Tsunade's back. "The man from earlier left it behind. He said it was payment for the blood."

Tsunade's face darkened, and she hurriedly changed the subject. "What's with that Hyuga Kei?"

Jiraiya told her what he knew, including Konoha's speculation that Hyuga Kei could absorb bloodlines. He had also allegedly used the Mangekyō Sharingan in Kusagakure.

Tsunade's train of thought was unusual. "Wouldn't that mean there'll be one more member of the Senju Clan in the future?"

"Uh... then he's also a member of the Uchiha and Hyuga Clans."